My Boys
by indigofrog
Summary: A month after returning from Afghan, Two Section reunited for a drink for the first time since Captain James and Smurf have recovered. However, what happens when an old flame of Molly's turns up. Could he ruin everything? Rated for mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

Taking one final look in the mirror, Molly Dawes ran outside, her black kitten heels splashing in the huge puddle just outside the block of flats in which she still lived with her parents and siblings. The rain has subsided earlier but the rememants could be seen dripping everywhere.

Hopping into the taxi which was waiting at the side of the road for her, Molly sat back and watched London whizz past before her eyes.

She was so excited. It had been a month since Two Section had returned from Afghan and Molly hadn't realised how much she's missed everyone until she got a text from Mansfield inviting her for a reunion on the other side of London.

Of course, she has kept in touch with everyone as much as possible. James had needed to stay over in Afghan while he recovered from his injuries but the pair of them had been writing letters. However the topic of 'them' hadn't yet been approached.

Molly couldn't wait to see him. The Bossman had finally flown home last week and headed straight to Bath to visit his family. Apparently, one of the boys had managed to get hold of him and supposedly he was planning to meet them at the pub.

Nervously, Molly pulled on the hem of her scarlet skirt. Since joining the army, the tight, tarty dresses that filled her half of the wardrobe had found their way to the charity shop and had been replaced by skirts and dresses that ran down to just above her knee or lower.

The outfit she had picked for tonight was bright and colourful; Molly had to find some way to stand out against the rest of the rabble. On top she wore a black lacy blouse through which you could just glimpse her skin - still tanned from the huge Afghan sun.

The taxi turned the corner and pulled up beside a grand building. There was a sign over the top reading 'The Red Lion' next to which was an old-fashioned sign with the roaring head of the beast painted on it, reminding Molly a little of Aslan from the Chronicles of Nania, one of the only books she ever read from cover to cover.

Shoving the money into the waiting hand if the driver, Molly jumped out and, taking a deep breath, strode through the door.

Almost immediately she was attacked by four burly ex-army blokes crashing her into a hug with their screams of "Molly!"

"Bloody hell, guys! Are you trying to give me a bleedin' heart attack?"

"It just shows how much we missed you, Molls," said Dangleberries, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Of course you did; I'm the only girl that will ever come to visit you lot by choice except your mum!"

They laughed and one by one pulled her in for a hug. As Mansfield Mike joined them, Molly said that she was surprised they had a train line in somewhere as shitty as Mansfield.

It was while she was throwing her head back with laughter that she saw him, out of the corner of her eye.

James.

How she'd missed him! In her dream she had imagined this reunion over and over again, rushing into his open arms like something from a cheesy eighties rom-com.

Her face lit up with a bright smile as he walked towards them. But he was moving too slowly.

And then she remembered the crutch.

Having only heard about it from his letters, Molly hadn't realised that he would still be using it. She hated to see a man so sporty, so athletic, confined by the restrictions of a walking stick. The doctor were uncertain whether he would ever be free of it, but Molly knew he would.

The bullet wound from the mission with Badrai had been worse than she had first suspected. It had lodged itself against James' femur and after a couple of operations to remove it, his leg still wouldn't work to the same compacity as before.

Hopefully, one day, it would.

Molly approached him, for once unsure of herself and of what to say. Thankfully, she didn't need to.

"Molly Dawes, the woman without whom I would be dead." He smiled and pulled her into a warm hug, the very hug that Molly had been waiting for for the last, arduous month.

Around them, drawing Molly out of the romantic atmosphere that Captain James created with his presence alone, the boys cheered.

"It was nothing," Molly said, humbled.

"Miss Molly Dawes, modest?" James chuckled.

"Don't go thinking you're special, Captain. I woulda done it for any of you," she said, looking at the rest of them. "Except maybe for Fingers!"

Laughing, the group led her through the bar entrance and around the back. There Molly found herself in a small area tightly packed with about a dozen chairs and two circular tables, each littered with empty or half-drunken glasses.

She was greeted with hugs from the rest of Two Section who couldn't be bothered to meet her at the door before taking the seat opposite James.

Slowly, everyone settled into their own conversations while Molly and Brains volunteered to get the next round of drinks. The bar was overcrowded and the pair of them had to push their way to the front.

Whilst they were waiting for their drinks, Molly finally plucked up the courage to ask the one question playing at the forefront of her mind. "Any word from Smurf?"

Brains just shook his head solemnly.

After the incident with Badrai, Molly and Smurf had hardly said two words to each other save from 'fuck' and 'off.' The only exception was in the waiting room of the hospital where Smurf had attempted to apologise to Molly. Even now she could hardly remember a word she had said to him through her tears, yet she was ninty-nine per cent sure that it was anything but polite.

Despite her hundreds of text messages and phone calls - none of which had gotten a reply - Molly still hadn't spoken to him since they left Afghan. All she wanted to do was to say sorry for all the horrible and unfair things she must have said to him.

"I told him when and where, Molls," Brains told her. "It's his choice." He smiled. "Knowing Smurf, he's probably scared you'll thump him."

Laughing, half-heartedly on Molly's account, the pair of them carried two trays of drinks back to the rest of the platoon, slopping the liquid a little over the edges. They sat down and quickly stepped back out of the way as everyone dived for their glass.

Then began the conversation. It was light and funny. However it only made Molly realise just how much she had missed them all.

Ever since returning home, Molly had felt out of place. It had gotten better with time, but no one at home, none of her friends, understood her anymore. Of course, she still had fun, but every so often someone would say something, something that either reminded her of Afghan or something that she'd missed while over there. That's when she felt out of place, like she didn't belong.

With these boys, she could never feel like that. They shared something extra special, something no one else would ever understand.

The night was getting rowdier as the boys drank more and more. Every so often she would catch Captain James' gaze and they would simultaneously roll their eyes as Mansfield began to dance.

Honestly, she couldn't wait to get a quiet word alone with him, although it probably wouldn't happen tonight. She remembered the mission to capture Badrai, when he had told her he want her to be the last thing her saw.

_Ditto_.

She recalled the feel of his soft lips on hers, his hands running through her hair and hers around his neck. The way he-

"Come on, Molls!" Nude Nut exclaimed, standing up. "Who's the lucky fellow who gets the first dance with you tonight then?" He raised his eyebrow and began showing her some of his 'moves.'

"Not you! None of you are at my high level of dance," Molly returned with a cocky smile. She stood up and began following about four or five of the boys onto the tiny dance floor.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Kinders.

"You bet!"

/()\

Molly danced with everyone in turn, taking one small break after doing the macerana with Dangleberries and Baz. The only person who refused to dance was the Bossman, although due to his knee, Molly tried not to take it personally.

"Please, Sir!" she begged. "I'm sure, even with your leg, you've got better moves than this lot!"

The group of soldiers behind her, ignoring her insult, were also egging him on. "Bossman! Bossman! Bossman!"

Molly grinned cheekily and tugged on her Captain's hand, batting her eyelids too.

"Bossman! Bossman! Boss-"

Cut of by their own cheering as James finally gave in and heaved himself to his feet, Two Section stepped aside to let Molly lead him onto the dance floor.

"If this is what I have to do to shut you cockwombles up, then so be it! But I'm warning you, I'll only show you up!"

Planting James in the middle of the dance floor, Molly stood on her tiptoes and shouted in his ear over the music. "Wait here a second. I've got a surprise."

Wiggling her hips in time to the closing beats of the current song, Molly made her way over the the DJ stationed in the corner. She shouted something to him - at which point he nodded - and she strolled back over to James. Just as the song ended, she reached him.

Then opening beats of the next song came on and James couldn't help himself from breaking into a grin.

"Our song," he whispered to himself.

_Don't go breaking my heart._

"I couldn't if I tried," echoed Molly, gripping tightly onto the boss's hands and pulling him towards her. Smiling, she could see the slight discomfort in his eyes as Molly tried in vain to make the Captain danced. She began to dance herself, pulling his hands with her in the hopes that he joined in too.

Instead he winced.

"Oh god!" Molly remembered, kicking herself for being so stupid. "Your leg, are you okay?"

"It's fine, Mol. Really," he assured her when she wasn't convinced. As if to prove to her - and to himself - that his leg really was alright, his dancing became more outlandish. Soon it was him pulling her across the floor, belting out the lyrics at the top of his boys with the rest if the boys joining in soon after.

As the song finished, James pulled Molly off the dance floor to the space between the bar and their tables.

"I'd forgotten how much fun that was," said James, the grin still not leaving his face. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, Boss. Do you wanna sit down, or-?"

"Cause not, Dawey. I'm as fit as a fiddle," he laughed perkily.

"Good." Molly paused, taking a deep breath before continuing."When you... When Badrai shot you I thought...I thought it was the end. There were so many things that I wanted to say and I was scared that I...I wouldn't have the chance. I..."

Not knowing what else to say, how to express her feelings in words, Molly stopped and looked at her feet. _What if he doesn't feel the same? Have I just completely embarrassed myself?_

Slowly, James placed a finger under Molly's chin and lifted it up so that her eyes looked into his. That's when he spoke. "As I fell to the ground, after I'd been hit, I thought I was dead. Surely I should have thought about Alfie - my son - or my parents. But I didn't. I thought of you.

I had to make sure you were alright, that you were safe. When I saw your face gazing down at me, I wanted you to stay there, just incase something happened...I wanted you to be the last thing I saw. I still want you to be, if that's what you still want too."

Now it was the Captain's turn to look bashful. His eyes darted around the room, staring at anything but the girl in front of him.

Cupping his check with her hand, Molly forced his gaze towards her.

"That's more like it. For a second I thought you were only going to say 'ditto'."

"Molly," James began tentatively. "I love-"

"Molly?" A glare appearing in her eye, Molly turned around to confront whoever had interrupted her moment with the Captain, fully intending to clobber them, even if it wasn't one of the boys.

However, all the fight in her disappeared as soon as she came face to face with her opponent.

"Molly! It is you!"

"Artan!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" As she spoke, her eyes widened and she wondered if for once in her life she would be stunned into silence.

"I was meeting a few mates but the evenings been lame. How have you been, Molls? I heard you'd moved to some army gaff."

All of a sudden, Molly felt the watchful eyes of two section on her, all wondering who this 'Artan' was and how he knew Molly. Ignoring them, she answered the question. "Yeah, I was posted in Afhgan for a few months. This was my Captain and my section," she told Artan, gesturing around her and hoping that no one had picked up on the awkwardness of her voice.

Nodding in turn to the soldiers around him, Artan leaned closer to Molly, she hoped it was to be heard over the music. Behind her she felt James tense.

"Molls, can we talk? In private?" he asked, his accent still as thick as she remembered it. "We left some important things unsaid."

He reached for her hand and to the rest of the Sections amazement, she didn't slap it away. The boys crowded in closer, James hoisting himself to his feet, waiting earnestly for her answer.

"Alright," she said quietly, unable to look anyone the eye except Artan. He began to lead her towards the door.

"Are you sure, Dawes?" James asked, noticing the worry and ounce of fear in her eyes.

She only nodded. Then she left. The boys watched, their gaze shifting nervously to one another.

/()\

The cold air nipped at Molly's bare legs as she left the warm, happy atmosphere of the pub, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, rubbing her hands up and down in a half-hearted attempt to warm them up as she followed Artan around the corner.

They found themselves in a secluded alcove big enough for the pub bins and them to stand in. Through the window behind her, Molly watched the boys casting worried glances out of the window or towards the door.

Molly smiled. She would never tire of that feeling, the feeling of having eleven other people who care for you, even risk their lives for yours. That's eleven if you include Smurf. Molly wasn't sure if she could anymore.

"Molly, I," Artan began before glancing up at her, watching as she rubbed her arms. "Are you cold, Molly? Here, let me."

Molly started to shake her head but before she realised what was happening, Artan was removing his leather jacket and draping it around her shoulders. Slowly she relaxed into it, snuggling into the fur and sighing as it hugged her skin.

"Molly, I wanted to say I'm sorry, for what happened before. I should never have pushed you like that." He looked at the floor, shame filling his eyes. "Say something."

"Well," started Molly, laughing internally as she realised how much this conversation would have been to her a year ago. Artan looked at her hopefully. "I can't deny what you did. You shouldne have pushed me, and nor should me dad."

Molly intended to leave there and then but the strange look splashed on Artan's face stopped her. Was that...disappointment?

"I suppose, your apology is accepted, you prannit," she joked.

Quick as a flash, his head flicked up. He smiled. "Listen, Molly, I was thinking, it's gotta be fate tonight, meeting up here. Maybe we could give it another go." Reaching for her hand, Artan took hers in his and stroked each finger in turn.

"You're a year older, I'm a year older, more mature," he continued, his accent pronouncing each letter. His hand slid up her neck and Artan traced the edge of her face. "We could make a real go of it."

Molly shoved hm backwards. "What? With your shagging my best friend every other night? I don't think so!"

Spinning around, the jacket slipping off her shoulder and falling in a heap on the wet ground, Molly went to storm back inside.

Without even taking a step, something stopped her: a tight hand on her shoulder.

"No, Molly!" he snapped, jerking her around so that she faced him and pulling her back towards him. "Don't you see I've missed you. I need you."

"But I haven't missed you! Except joining that lot in there, leaving you was the best thing I've ever done." Molly tried to loosen his grip but Artan's hand was locked firmly around her wrist.

"You don't mean that, Molly. You are my love, my heart. Without you I'm not me, not whole." Pinning her up against the wall, just too far to the left of the window so that they couldn't be seen, even if Molly had been able to outstretch her arm.

Leaning in close, Artan whispered to her. "Come on, Molly. I know you want this as well."

Choking on the foul smell of fags that emanated from his breath, instead of screaming - which, in retrospect would have been the smart thing up do - Molly just snapped back: "I wouldn't get together with you if you were the last animal on earth. Christ! I'd rather get together with bleedin' Mansfield!"

If Molly had thought the smell of fags was bad, the taste was worse.

Closing his fingers around her neck, Artan forced his tongue between her lips. His body was pressed up against hers, trapping her between the wall and him.

Violently, she struggled and kicked, trying desperately to free her hands, which were clasped underneath one of his. She tried in vain to pull her mouth away from his, hoping to grasp enough time to scream.

Removing itself from her neck, Artan's other hand began to explore, groping at her clothes, her skirt in particular.

Trying to sidestep away, either to break free of his grasp or at least be in view of the window so that someone could come to her aid, Molly pulled to her left. Her foot slipped, falling into a shallow hole, probably a drain. It twisted and had Artan's lips not been covering hers, they would have let rip a vicious shriek.

Unable to move, Molly's struggles became weaker, allowing Artan's hands even more freedom to wander. Tugging at the hem of her t-shirt which was tucked in to her skirt, his hands found a way beneath.

Molly could feel each finger running across her waist, slithering upwards until the reached her bra. The scuttled along the hem at the bottom, around the front until they reached the back.

Battling with every ounce of her energy, using all her will power to fight him off, Molly tried to squeak and whimper whenever he gave her the chance. She felt his hands scrabbling at her bra strap, fumbling at the clasp. She pushed harder.

And then she felt it.

_Click_.

The hook had popped open.

Molly gasped as his hand grappled at her back, moving around where her bra usually sat.

A tear dripped down her face and her hands dropped to her side.

This was it.

Suddenly the weight that forced her against the door was gone. Molly, limp and in a flurry of tear dropped to the ground in a heap. When she looked ahead of her, she saw the figure of Artan draped across the ground, eleven pairs of boots standing in a circle around him.

Her eyes skimmed upwards until she was gazing up into the faces of Two Section, the eyes of all of them focused solely on her.

Bending down beside her, Captain James looked at her anxiously. "Molly? Are you alright, Molly?"

In and out. In and out. Desperately Molly tried to catch her heaving breath to reply to her captain. To assure him that she was okay.

In the end, she just fell into his arms, tears pouring out of her eyes and streaming down her face creating black streaks of mascara on her cheeks.

Captain James wrapped his arms around her, stopping as she flinched slightly before placing his palms on her back. Immediately her felt her dishevelled clothes and the gap between each hook of her bra.

"Moll? Are you...? Did he...? What happened...?"

There was no reply except for her incessant sobbing. Then, in a hushed voice that only he could hear: "You called me 'Moll.'"

Everyone could have stayed frozen like that for five seconds or five minutes or five hours. None of them could tell. Either way, it didn't matter.

Eventually, Molly removed her shaking hands from around her captain's neck and slowly, leaning on him a little for support, rose, quivering, to her feet.

Beneath her chest, she felt her heart pounding and she tried to take more deep breaths to help to calm them. The tall walls of the small alley were beginning to close in around her and loom above, trapping her in this horrible place.

She had to get out.

Not fully realising what she was doing, Molly elbowed past Captain James and ran out of the recess behind the pub, ignoring the agony in her twisted ankle.

Acid forced its way up her throat and vomit gurgled its way out. Under her t-shirt, Molly slid the pin of her bra back together and tried to right her clothes.

Yet she could still feel his slimy hands on her body, dripping around her neck, her back her hips.

Still shuddering, Molly wiped away the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, she turned to face her comrades. They were looking at her with anxious, terrified and slightly angry expressions.

Then she saw him.

"Smurf?" Molly started to run across the gap between them but her ankle jolted her and she was forced to limp the remainder of the journey. Smurf moved closer and Molly's arms wrapped themselves around him, squeezing him check that he was definitely there. "What are you doing here? I thought...I thought you hated me."

"Molls? I could never hate you. And why is it you comforting me? What about you, are you alright?"

Pulling back Molly glanced down at her feet, noticing the pain in her ankle again. "I'm...I'm fine. Just a little-"

Halting mid-sentence, Molly whipped her head around as she heard a groan from the floor. Artan had regained consciousness. Her eyes scoured his slack figure and bloodied face - the red liquid was thanks to a firm punch directly on the jaw from one of Two Section.

Smurf placed his hand on either of her shoulders and went to push her back. "Come on, Molls. Lets get you inside, get a drink for the shock. Yeah?"

Even the light weight of his hands forced her to take a couple of tentative steps backwards before she arrived at her senses. _No,_ she thought, _I need to see this through._

Stopping abruptly in the middle of her step, Molly swung her head back up to look past Smurf, past the huddle of soldiers, past her precious Captain, to the body on the ground. Jerkingly, it was beginning to groan.

Sidestepping around Smurf, Molly walked steadily towards Artan. The rest of the boys were calling her name, asking desperately if she was alright, telling her to stay back and warning her of the danger she maybe putting herself in. Molly ignored them all.

Cautiously she leaned over the cowering, barely awake figure. An arm shot out across her torso, forcing her back.

"Molly, what are you doing?" James stared at her, eyes filled with panic and fear for the young medic.

"Please," she begged. "I have to finish this. I don't, and I might gonna be glancing over my shoulder for the rest my life. Please, Bossman."

Tentatively, he nodded.

Molly by-passed her beloved captain and crouched down beside the frail carcass of Artan. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of James standing beside her, protecting her.

"Molly?" asked the thick accent lying on the floor. "My love, you came back for me. You couldn't resist," he said grinning. Feeling him tense, Molly stole a short glance at Captain James and the rest of her Section as the all gritted their teeth and clench their fists, preparing to pounce if he tried anything.

"Bloody hell, you're reminding me of Smurf! And that ain't a good thing. I ain't thought of you for a year and I aint ever gonna think of you again, because I'll never need to think of anyone that I thought I once loved ever again. You are full of more shit than all of this lot put together, you wanking cockwomble, and if I never see you again, my life will be complete."

Heaving on her thighs as she went to stand up, Molly froze midway and as a second thought, added, "Actually, I do want to think of you again, Artie," she said, batting her eyelashes and using the pet name she had used while they were together. The rest of the guys looked at her strangely. "I wanna remember this."

With that statement, the 'sweet' smile faded from Molly's face and was replaced with the cheeky smiled that James loved so much.

The her fist connected with Artan's face, wiping the smug smirk off of his face.

/()\

"Are you sure you're alright, Molls?" asked Captain James. The police have arrived about five minutes ago and taken Artan away for questioning at the station and a pair of sergeants were interviewing the rest of the boys in turn. Once they had finished there, they planned to speak to Molly and Captain James. Her parent were on their way.

"If anyone asks me that question one more time I swear to god I'll kick you in the balls so hard they'll drop off!"

"Sorry, I was just checking." James held his hands up in a mock surrender.

Molly smiled. "I forgive you. I think I'm just a little shaken up. I might gonna need Mansfield to do something stupid to make me laugh."

"What about me?" asked James in mock offence.

"You aren't exactly one to joke though are you, Sir."

"Perhaps not but I bet I can make you laugh." Holding out his hand, James wiggled his fingers in the hope that Molly would shake it. Smiling, she took the bet. "Well," continued Captain James, "has anyone ever told you my first name?" Molly shook her head. "Charles."

"What?" she exclaimed, astounded and smirking slightly. "Charles! Really?" A loud laugh burst between her lips.

"Yeah, alright, laugh it up. This is why I never tell the boys on tour. That lot of piss-taking bastards would never have let me live it down. "

"True," admitted Molly. "I think I'll just stick to Bossman."

"Well you can't call me Bossman for the rest of our lives, can you?" Charles pointed out, the remnants of his grin still on her face.

"You think we'll know each other from that long. I'll probably have tired of you by then. 'Charles who?' I'll say."

Suddenly, the smile on Captain James' face dropped away and was replaced by a frown. "Don't even joke about something as serious as that, Dawes. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Ditto."

The small table that seemed to separate them suddenly vanished and the gap between their lips parted.

The kiss was everything Molly remembered: warm and passionate, safe and dangerous, conserved and addictive. She didn't want it to end.

Unfortunately, Baz Vegas and Dangleberries had other ideas and the plundered over to the couple and began singing. "Dawesy and Bossman sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up you dickheads!" yelled James and Molly simultaneously.

"Guys," calmed Smurf, to everyone's surprise,"it would be more than kissing of we weren't here so..."

Molly elbowed him but she was still beaming. "By the way guys, I don't think I said thank you, for earlier. If you lot hadn't have-"

"Molly," Brains began, "we would've done it for anyone, even if it weren't you and that...what's his bleeding face? Artan?"

"Blimey, Moll! I still can't believe that you and him were together," Mansfield told her.

"Nor can I," Molly replied. "He's a well dodgy geezer."

Captain James smiled. "If I knew what one of them were, I'd probably agree."

"But still, thank you."

"Molly," Smurf told her. "We'd never let anything happen to you. You're our girl."

Smiling, Molly looked around at each of them in turn, looking at nine of the best blokes ever, her best friend and the love of her life.

"And you're my boys."

* * *

**Hey, I hoped you enjoyed my first Our Girl Fanfic. If you all desperately want me to continue this story, I've had some ideas about how Molly copes afterwards.**

**If not, I'm also planning to write one about Molly returning home from Afghan to Charles's joy. However, she doesn't return in the best circumstances! It will probably be in three parts.**

**Review please!**

**Indigofrog :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"For Christ sake! I've already told you a thousand times what bleedin' happened. I've written it down, had it recorded. Or can't you lot bloody read?" Molly crashed her head into her arms, trying not to show them her weakness.

This was her third visit to the police station this week. They still wanted to talk to her about what had happened that night at The Red Lion, with Artan. Over and over Inspector Jones and Sergeant Morris - the police officers assigned to the case - had made her to recount the events that occurred outside the pub, forcing her relive every moment.

"I'm sorry, Private Dawes," said Inspector Jones, "but we need to understand fully what happened last Friday and we've been hearing two different stories. So, one more time: what happened at the Red Lion last Friday?"

Inhaling one deep, gasping breath, Molly lifted her head, opened her eyes and began to speak.

"I was at the Red Lion with Captain James and the rest of Two Section. We were-"  
Beginning the interruptions early, which Molly fully expected now, the Sergeant asked, "who were 'Two Section?'"

Molly closed her eyes and counted quickly to ten while squeezing her wrist, pretending it was the Sergeant's neck (she had been taught this by the pastoral support at school, the only helpful they ever did tell her). "Two Section were my section in the army. Do I have to repeat all their names again?"

Sergeant Morris started to speak but Inspector Jones just shook his head. "Carry on."

/()\

Exhausted, Molly dropped onto her bed, ignoring the hundreds of 'how was it's and pushing past her dad.

She buried her face into her pillow. Outside, the sky had turned black and if she was silent she could hear the steady breath of her younger sister, asleep in the bunk above. Molly's duvet pulled its around her, sliding over her skin like Artan's slimy hands. Molly shivers and kicked the covers away.

Slowly, her eyes drifted close and her thoughts filled with Captain James once again.

_Charles_.

Molly smiled as she remembered their time in Afghan, the way he looked at her when he discovered she was fond of him, the first time they kissed, reminiscing the first moment Molly realised her feelings for him.

_Don't go breaking my heart._

When he had first commanded her to sing with him, Molly had only remembered the sarcastic, mocking captain who had ridiculed her on her first day. But there was a second, in the middle of the song, when everything changed.

_I couldn't if I tried._

A quote from something she was supposed to study at school came to mind: "my only love sprung from my only hate." Molly didn't know where it was from, only that she understood its meaning.

_Honey, if I get restless. _

She loved Captain James.

Baby you're not that kind.

Opening her eyes, Molly stared up at the mattress of her sister's bed above her where she had pinned a photo of Two Section.

Don't go breaking my heart.

Charles' arms around hers, both in the compound in afghan and the other night when they were dancing.

_You take the weight off of me._

They spun around the floor, holding hands, both moving in closer, beaming as they were finally together.

_Honey when you knock on my door._

When they went back to the bar after the dance, Molly had really thought he would say it, that they would talk about what happened.

But they were interrupted.

_I gave you my key._

_**"Molly?"**_

Without that word, everything would be so different.

**_"Artan!"_**

_Nobody knows it_

**_"Can we talk?"_**

_When I was down, I was your clown_

_**"You are my love, my heart."**_

_Nobody knows it_

**_"Come on, Molly. I know you want this as well."_**

_Right from the start, I gave you my heart._

**_His fingers slithered-_**

**_Molly kicked-_**

**_His hands groped-_**

**_Molly struggled-_**

**_He scrabbled at her bra-_**

**_Molly fought-_**

**_This was it-_**

Gasping violently, Molly leapt out of her dream. She sat bolt upright, knocking her head on the bunked above. She was dripping in sweat, the covers - which someone had placed over her in an effort to comfort her - were twisted and untidy as though they had been trying to keep a wild animal hostage. Her breaths were quick and heavy; her lungs could not appear to grab air fast enough. Panting, she culled her back and rolled back down to that she was lying flat on her bed again.

She glanced at the clock. Two in the morning.

What ever happened, Molly would never get back to sleep tonight.

/()\

Having scrubbed down the kitchen, cleared away the children's toys from the lounge and finishing the pile of ironing her mum had left to do in the morning, Molly messed around on her laptop.

It was an old, dodgy model with a couple of gross stains on the odd key. Her eyes were desperate to go back to sleep but, terrified that her nightmare would recur, Molly gulped down another coffee and put her headphones on, blaring out loud pop songs at its full volume.

The weirdest thing was that towards the end of last week, Molly's nightmares had begun to fade. Ever since returning from Afhgan, Mollyhad been having terrible dreams about the attacks, something happening to the rest of the platoon, to Smurf or Captain James, to Bashira.

She worried about the little girl most of all. What if something happened to her and it was all Molly's fault?

Despite his attempts, everytime Quasseem had managed to get a lead so far, something had happened so that Bashira slipped through his fingers. Molly had tried to stay in co tact with him everyday but nothing had happened yet.

If that couldn't keep her awake, nothing could.

When the rest of the house woke up, her mum found Molly sitting at the table, dark circles under her eyes and a cold cup of coffee in her heart, the capsules to her left.

"Where did ya get these from, Molls?" her mum asked picking the packet up and twirling it around in her fingers. "They're well fancy, ain't they? What are they called? Rosiebowyer? Rossabiea?"

"Rosabaya," Molly whispered.

/()\

"Molls!" yelled her younger brother Alex from downstairs. "Your boyfriend's here!"

Looking up from where she was applying eye-liner to her right eye - after finally heaving herself to the shower and drying her hair - Molly got up and hurried down the stairs, wondering who it was.

"Molly's got a boyfriend! Molly's got a boyfriend!"chanted her younger siblings from the hallway.

"Shut it, you little-" Molly was cut off by the person she came face to face standing in the doorway. "Smurf."

"Hey, Molls. You know, if you wanted me to be your boyfriend, you only had to ask," he grinned and Molly could have sworn she saw him wink.

"Hysterical, you Welsh wanker. Want some breakfast?"

"Sure," he wrapped his arm around her waist and laughing, they headed towards the smells of bacon, wafting from the kitchen.

/()\

Scoffing down a heart breakfast like he hadn't eaten in a month, Smurf explained that he'd decided to come down to see how Molly was, to check she was alright after everything that happened.

Obviously, she claimed he was fine, brushing off the fact that she hadon't been able to get a wink of sleep after her nightmare.

"So what do you want to do?" Smurf asked between mouthfuls. "You can have the pleasure of my company for the whole day, doing any activity of your choice, on one condition:" Smurf bargained," we can travel in a taxi."

Laughing, Molly asked, "what is it about taxis? It's just a black car that charges ten times as much as the bus."

"But,"argued Smurf, "you get your own personal chauffeur!"

Molly rolled her eyes. "So, what torture shall I inflict on you today?" She pondered.

"For you," flirted Smurf, taking her hand and planting a light kiss on it, "I would do anything. Well," he reconsidered, "anything except-"

"Shopping!" Molly squealed.

Smurf only groaned.

"You did say anything,"Molly reminded him. "And all the best shopping areas of town are on the other side so we'll have to take a taxi."

"In that case, I suppose I can make an exception," Smurf relented, his eyes lighting up like a child's on Christmas Day.

/()\

Despite his obvious disgust for the activity, Smurf played along with Molly's wishes, buying her each and every thing she touched or admired. Every so often, Molly thought he even looked as though he was enjoying himself.

Finally they stopped for lunch a one of the pop-up fish and chip shops which lined the South Bank close to the London Eye. The pair of them sat, huddled under a tree on a small park bench, feasting on a portion of chips.

A few feet to their left was a street entertainer, painted entirely purple and holding a crystal bowl. Molly sat watching her for a while, amazed.

"Thinking about your dream job, Dawes?" asked Smurf, nicking another chip.

"Not bloody likely. I'd hate to have to stand still all day. It'd do my nut in!"

"Mine too," agreed Smurf.

"And mine," said a voice from behind them as a hand appeared in their cone of chips and took one before Molly could snatch it away.

Their heads whipped around to be greeted with the cocky grin of Captain James. "Sorry guys, I haven't had chips in bloody ages!"

"It's alright Sir. I thought you were one of the other boys or something," explained Molly.

"So you wouldn't let one of your own Section have one of your chips, Dawes?" the Bossman verified, perching on the bench beside her and grabbing two more of the salt-covered chips.

Seeing what her captain was doing, Molly replied, "No, I wouldn't let any of that lot stick their hands in my chips!"

Smurf sniggered, understanding the joke for the most part but missing out on the underlying conversation.

"But you'd let me, would you, Dawes?" Captain smirked.

Molly blushed before thinking better of it and working out another of her perfectly witty comebacks. "Definitely, Sir. I mean, we're on first name terms, aren't we?"

Now it was his turn to blush as Smurf asked what it was.

"Please tell me! Molls, it isn't right to keep things from your comrades. We all need to trust eachother and its unfair that only you know the Bossman's name. Please!" Smurf whined.

Faithful as ever, Molly refused to breathe a word. "You'll have to ask the Bossman, it ain't my secret to tell you," she reasoned.

Scowling like a little boy who had been denied a new toy, Smurf folded his arms with a huff and refused to speak to either of them.

Charles and Molly laughed.

"So, how are you?" the Bossman asked tentatively.

Nervously, Molly nodded but to avoid going into a conversation about the events of Friday, quickly added: "What about you? How the leg?"

"Still recovering. The doctors think that some physio therapy might help so I'm going to my first session today."

"Good," Molly smiled. "Soon you'll be off that crutch and marching us all around in circles again."

Before they said anything else, before Molly had the chance to say all the things she wanted to so desperately, Captain James as getting to his feet.

"You're going already?" asked a disheartened Molly.

"Sorry," smiled Charles, "I've got that physio appointment. I'd better go."

"See you soon?" Molly said, using the tone of a request, not a promise.

Captain James only nodded and with a wink, he was gone.

"Right," said Smurf, snapping into action and pulling Molly back to reality, "where to next?"

Grinning internally, Molly replied, "I know just the place."

/()\

After a SHORT taxi ride, Molly found herself staring up at the Nespresso sign once again. The last time she had seen it, she knew that she would be heading back to Afhgan tomorrow. This time she was buying for the hell of it.

As she pushed open one of the huge glass door and walked into the enormous shop, her lungs filled with the scent of coffee. There were so many different types, different brands, different tastes, different-

Something rammed into Molly and she felt herself ready to kick into her soldier mode.

There was no need as she looked down into the eyes of a frightened little boy.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, quivering.

"That's alright, little man," smiled Molly. She was about to walk past him when she saw what his little hands were gripping onto ever so tightly. "Rosabaya," she read off the packaging. "Good choice."

"It's for my daddy! It's his favourite in the whole wide world and I'm going to visit him tomorrow and I'm going to wrap it up in pretty paper and give it to him and-"

"Alfie! Alfie? There you are." The worried cries of his mother cut him off. "Now, don't ever run off like that again, I was worried sick."

"Sorry mummy."

The woman looked at Molly with the face of 'you-know-what-kids-are-like' and taking his hand, led him out of the store.

With a final look back, the little boy waved at Molly. Beaming, she grinned back as his grasped tightly onto the packet of coffee.

/()\

Worn out, that night Molly collapsed onto her bed. She just hoped that she would be too tired fir nightmares.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Molly groaned as she rolled over and picked up her phone.

**_Hey, Molls. I'm sorry if I interrupted your date with Smurf earlier. Charles_**

_WHAT! U thought it was a date. Don't worry, u wernt interrupting anything. Molls_

Just before she sent it, in the spur of the moment, Molly added a couple of kisses after her name.

**_In that case, I was wondering if you wanted to meet up at some point. Charles xxx_**

_Sure! When's good 4 u? Molls xxx_

**_How is Monday? I thought we could get lunch and maybe try to get some late tickets for a show? Charles xxx_**

_Works 4 me. Looking forward 2 it already. -_

Molly paused before signing the text. How should she sign it? Just 'Molls'? 'Love Molls'?

_Works 4 me. Looking forward 2 it already, love Molly xxx_

After deleting the kisses, Molly inhaled and before she could change, pressed send.

* * *

**Sorry it took me so long to update, I plan to update ago this week again though and I'm also writing a short fanfic, probably three or four chapters about what happens after Molly** **goes back to Afghan.**

**Awaiting your reviews eagerly,**

**Indigofrog :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Molly smiled as she applied a thin layer of mascara to the already long eyelashes and brushed a tad of white eyeshadow above her eye. She took a final deep breath as the stared at her reflection in the mirror and nodded. This was perfect.

Walking down the stairs with a slight spring in her step, Molly glanced at the clock to see that she had about ten minutes to spare. Ten minutes to fret about what she looked like, worry about what would happen and fear that something would go wrong.

For once, she felt like a school girl about to go on her first date.

Molly almost laughed as she considered that her first date consisted of a bag of chips and a short make-out session behind the fish and chip shop with Aaron Tomlinson.

Hopefully Charles would have something more exciting planned, assuming this was a date.

Molly still wasn't entirely sure. At the pub the other week, she had thought they would have kissed, if not for the interruption. What if she'd misread the signs? What if she had this all wrong?

_Beep beep._

Jumping at the vibration of her phone in her jacket pocket, Molly pulled it out and scanned the text.

Nearly there. See you soon. Charles xxx

"Mum," Molly called into the kitchen, "I'm going!" As she headed towards the front door, Molly's mum beckoned her back.

"Hey, not so quickly. I want to look at you." Molly rolled her eyes as her mum scoured her up and down, taking in the pleated white skirt, black t-shirt and denim jacket. "Aww, my little girl, all grown up."

"I think she grew up long ago, don't you, Belinda?" her dad scoffed from the next room. He had heaved himself out of his chair and come to the door.

Molly breathed a sigh of relief. At least if Charles came to the door, he wouldn't find her dad in his underpants, only his grotty trackies.

Almost as though Molly's thoughts alone had made it happen, the doorbell rang.

Belinda grinned encouragingly and cast a knowing look at her husband, leading him back into the front room. Shaking her head, Molly opened the door.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The pair of them stood smiling at each other like teenagers who didn't know what to do next. Molly tried desperately not to keep looking at his crutch and racked her brain for a way to break the tension. Luckily, it was broken for here.

"I thought it was your boyfriend coming to pick you up, Molly," her little brother, Owen, said sweetly from the top of the stairs.

"Bugger off you little tosspot," snapped Molly jokingly, shooing him away. "I don't have a bleedin' boyfriend."

"What about the one who called for you the other day?" Owen asked again before seeing Molly's glare and running away to hide.

Charles looked at her with raised eyebrows, a slight look of amusement dancing on his lips. "Boyfriend?"

"Just Smurf. He came over the other day and the little bleeders have been planning our wedding ever since," Molly explained with a chuckle.

Charles smiled. "You ready?"

Nodding, Molly tried to escape before her dad reemerged. She failed.

"Hello, I'm Dave," he introduced, sticking out his left hand, "Molly's dad."

"Charles," the Bossman said, shaking it.

Molly hid her face to hide her embarassment, praying that her dad didn't laugh at the name 'Charles'. Perhaps she should have warned her parents.

For once, her father was perfectly gentlemanly but before the pair of them could get too chummy, Molly said, "Alright then, we'd best be going." She grabbed Charles' arm and pulled him out the door. "See you later."

Outside, Molly turned to Charles and said "Right then where are we going?" She linked her arm around his as they half strolled and half limped along the balcony.

"Listen, Molls. Rebecca called last night," explain Charles, looking everywhere except at Molly. She refrained from sighing. "Her mum is ill and she has had to go and look after her so she asked if I could look after Alfie today."

Molly turned to look at him, a slight admiration in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I know it's bad timing. I had a whole day planned and now I have no idea what to-"

Molly placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "It's fine, really. He sounds wonderful, and I've had enough experience with kids that I'm sure we can think of something to do."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Charles turned and guided her to the car, opening the door for her before wandering around to the other side.

Looking behind her, Molly saw a small boy with a sprout of dark curls growing on his head, just like his father. His eyes were locked intensely on the screen of a game of some kind.

"Alfie, this is Molly, Molly, this is my son."

The boy looked up And his eyes sparked with recognition. "I know you!"

"Hello, little man. So this is who you were shopping for the other day, is it?"

Alfie nodded. "Don't tell him what I buyed, it's a secret," He told her, making a shhhhing sound. Molly grinned and placed a finger to her lips as a silent promise.

"So you two know each other?" confirmed a confused Charles.

"We've met, yes," said Molly, "But its a secret where."

Charles narrowed his eyes with false suspicion. "Alright then. So what do you two want to do?"

Alfie shugged.

_Eureka!_

Swivelling around to face Alfie, Molly asked, "Do you like football, Alfie?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"What team do you support? Chelsea? Man U? Is there even a Bath team?"

Alfie just shrugged again.

"Usually Alfie waits until the end of the premier league and supports whoever wins," explained his dad with a laugh.

"Good plan," Molly laughed too. "Well I support Westham. They're my local team, very local in fact. Their ground is just over there," Molly pointed behind them at the huge ground, "and as a war hero, they really want me to go and support them. Would you like to come and have a nose around with me?"

Eagerly, Alfie's eyes lit up. "Yes!"

"Yes what?" interjected Charles.

"Yes please. Pretty please!"

/()\

Alfie's eyes were wide in awe of the enormous pitch he now stood in. He was turning around and around on the spot, looking up at the huge roof and the thousands of seats above him, imagining each of them filled and cheering.

Molly was smiling. Not only because Alfie was, but because of the look on Charles face too.

"Thank you, Dawes. I haven't seen him this happy in so long," remarked Charles. "Not since I left for Afghan and Rebecca and I had split."

"I can imagine it was hard for him. If my parents split up..." She caught herself before she could say anymore. "Sorry, I've got this foot stuck in my mouth. I didn't mean that you were to blame, only that-"

"I know what you meant but...if I had stayed, I would have been living a lie. Isn't that worse?" He took her hand in his, linking their fingers in the same way he had as she was leaving for her R&amp;R. "Especially now that I've met you."

They gazed into each others eyes and for a moment, Molly could forget the nightmares and Artan and the complications with Smurf. That's when she realised what it felt like to be truly happy.

"Daddy! Daddy! Will you play with me?" begged Alfie, inadvertently interrupting the moment. In his hands was a football that he must have found on the sidelines, left over from training.

Gesturing to his crutch which Molly had entirely forgotten about, Charles shook his head. "Sorry mate. Maybe Molly will give it a go." He looked at her, half of his face pleading, the other half smirking.

"Sure, Alfie," said Molly. She quickly looked over to one of the pitch supervisor who nodded quickly.

Assuming that meant they could play, Molly grabbed the ball from Alfie and began to dribble it towards the goal, rather expertly. Running to catch up, Alife tried to tackle her and Molly willingly gave it up.

Sprinting, Alfie took the ball to the closest goal and took the shot.

"He shoots!" yelled his Dad. "He scores! Alfie James, the best footballer of the century!"

Molly smiled again. This was happiness caught in a single moment.

/()\

Charles was a gentleman, paying for everything all day long. He spent a fortune on the tickets into the London aquarium and on the huge cuddly shark that Alfie begged him for. He even bought Molly a tiny seahorse pendant which he wrapped abound her neck, trying not to get it caught around her hair or the string which held Smurf's ring.

Now, Molly sat in the London Eye, twirling the charm between her fingers while Charles and Alfie gazed out of the window across London. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Did someone get a late night?" Charles asked with a smart-arsed grin as he sat down beside her. "I guess you were kept awake thinking of me."

Half-heartedly, Molly elbowed him. "No! Not you, just another man who's muscled his way into my life," she replied, looking away to hide the pain in her eyes.

Charles looked at her expectantly.

"Artan," she elaborated.

"What?" exclaimed the Captain rather loudly, causing a few people to turn and look at the commotion, including Alfie who was gazed out the window with a look of wonder. His dad gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to Molly. "Has he spoken to you? If he's laid a finger on you, I'll-"

"No, it's nothing like that. But I've had to go to the police station and relive it all about three times and then there's the trial and..." Molly sighed and threw her head on her hands, the stress finally revealing itself.

Placing a hand on a back for reassurance, Captain James jumped as Molly flinched away. Beneath her hands, she murmured, "Sorry, I just don't like people touching me anymore. It reminds me of...of _his_ hands."

Taking a breath to deal with his own shock, Charles lowered his hand. "Have they set a date yet? For the trial?"

Molly shook her head.

"You can get through this, Molls. I know you're strong enough. One day all this will be a distant memory and you will never have to think of that stupid cockwomble again!"

He couldn't be sure, but Charles thought Molly sniggered slightly at the word 'cockwomble.'

Raising his arms and stretching them, Charles considered this conversation for what seemed like hours before approaching it. "Molly, part of the reason I asked you her today was...well, I wanted to talk, and I know it's hard with Alfie here but... I need to say this."

Molly pulled her head from her hands and looked at him seriously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," he assured her. Gingerly, Charles reached out his arms other and took her hands. This time, she didn't flinch. "It's about what we were saying at the pub, before we were...interrupted."

Frowning at the subtle mention of Artan, Molly averted her eyes for a second before looking back to him. "I remember. You said: 'Molly, I love...' How was that sentence going to end?"

"Molly, I love-"

"Daddy, daddy! Look, I can see Big Ben!"

Both of them closed their eyes to hide their slight irritation at Alfie's innocent interruption.

Sighing, Charles called back. "I'm coming, Alfie."

As he got to his feet, leaning heavily on the crutch, Charles whispered a single word. "Sorry."

/()\

The sky was a bright red by the time Charles drove Molly around the familar corner to her estate. Exhausted, Alfie had fallen asleep in the car.

Once they had finished their ride on the London Eye, Charles had taken the pair of the out for lunch at a small cafe which was a favourite of his. They then strolled through Hyde Park and found a cinema playing an afternoon showing of Toy Story.

Under the cover of the cinema's darkness, Molly managed to entwine her fingers with Charles. She was sad when the movie finished and she had had to let go.

Captain James parked the car and turned to look at her. They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"This is it then."

"I suppose."

"I've had the most wonderful day. Thank you," smiled Molly.

"It was my pleasure," Charles replied. "And it wasn't just me who enjoyed your company; Alfie adores you."

"Well with half a dozen little brothers and sisters, you get used to kids."

"So I guessing you'd like to have loads of them yourself, Dawes. Once your out of the army, of course."

"I think it would be best to get married first before we start discussing children, don't you, Captain?" joked Molly.

"Is this you proposing, Dawes?"

There was silence.

Then they both burst out in a splutter of giggles.

"I've really got to go," said Dawes, opening the car door a little. "Today really has helped take my mind off of...well everything."

"I'm glad; you needed a break. I'll see you soon," he told her. "And that isn't a request, that's a promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'm counting on it."

Before she could talk herself out of it, Molly leaned in and whispered, "Thank you, Bossman." Then quick as a flash, she pecked him on the cheek and without another word, left the car.

Charles watched her mount the stairs and run along the balcony to her front door. Once she was inside, he exhaled.

"You want to know how that sentence would have finished, Dawes?" he asked the air around him.

"Molly, I love you."

* * *

**Hello all! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. It might take me a bit longer to write the next one by I promise it's coming soon.**

**I wasn't sure what Charles' son was called so I decided Alfie - it suits his cuteness, don't you think?**

**Please continue all your lovely reviews,**

**Indigofrog :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Sergeant Molly Dawes_

_We request your presence on the 13th April at the London Court of Law to give evidence against Artan Kothari._

Molly had been in a daze ever since she had ripped the seal on the envelope and read it's contents. It had remained in her hands for about five minutes, shaking, while she debated whether or not to open it.

13th April

Give evidence

Against Artan

The trial was about a month away but she hadn't thought of anything else.

Will they find him guilty?

What happens if they do?

Or worse what if they don't?

Tired, Molly rubbed her eyes. She had planned to go for a jog this morning but hadn't even gotten dress so far.

What was the point?

Finally replacing the letter into it's envelope and putting it back on the table, Molly got up and dragged her tired, stressed feet back up the stairs to her bedroom. Flopping backwards onto her bed, she stared up at the picture of Bashira that she had pinned to the bunk above hers.

The innocent look of the little girl symbolised the importance of putting and end to the war and the cruel regime of the Taliban. Molly wondered what was happening to her now. What she safe? For once, Bashira may be even safer than Molly was, or at least how safe she felt.

The nightmares had been getting better but the young Private had an awful feeling that she wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight. With the trial dragging everything back up, all Molly seemed to be doing was remembering.

The ring of her phone made her leap out of her skin. She smiled as she glanced at the photo of a grinning Smurf on the caller ID. "What's up, Smurf?"

There was silence on the other end. "I got my letter today. For the trial."

"Same here," Molly said quietly.

Another pause. "So...what do you think?"

Smirking Molly shrugged to herself. "What is there to say? Finally the police finish their interrogations and then I'm going to have to relive it all again. I'm ec-bloody-static!"

"You'll be alright, Molls," Smurf reassured her. "Once the trial is over, you'll be able to forget it and that fucking Artan will be behind bars."

Without laughing, Molly told him, "that was a poor choice of words. If it wasn't for you, her really would be 'fucking' Artan."

"Sorry."

The line was silent until Smurf heard a quiet snivel.

"Molls? Are you alright? Molly?"

"Oh, I'm brilliant!" she said sarcastically. "Im just. Im so..so scared, Smurf. I now in my head that he can't do anything to me but...what if he...?" Molly stopped and sniffed. "In Afghan, I thought nothing would ever be so terrifying but...that night, I thought...I thought...Oh God!" She burst in a flurry of tears.

"Molly? Molly, where are you? At home?" On the other end, he heard a whispered 'yes.' "I'm coming down there. See you in an hour."

Without another word, he was gone and Molly was left alone, tears pouring down her cheeks and streaking her freshly-applied make-up down her face.

/()\

"Molly?" called her mum, knocking on the door. "Molly, wakey-wakey, honey."

Tossing her groggy head to the side, Molly rolled over and murmured, "Just five more minutes, Mum."

A weight shifted on the bed as Belinda sat down. "Sorry, Molls, but you've got a visitor."

Molly sat bolt upright and looked quizzically at her mum. Belinda smiled and tipped her head to the door behind her. She moved her gaze.

"James?"

"Thats me," he smiled and walked to the bed. "I heard you needed cheering up."

A grin broke out on Molly's face and her mum - looking between the two of them - said, "I'll leave you two alone."

Once the door had shut behind her, Molly asked, "Which little bugger - sorry, birdy - told you, then?"

Very slightly, the smiled faded from his face. "I got my letter about the trial," Charles explained, a little awkwardly. "I thought I'd better phone to check if you were alright and one of your many siblings picked up. They thought you needed a friend and so...here I am."

"Thank you," Molly uttered with all the sincerity as she possessed. He took her hand in his.

They paused, gazing at each other. Slowly, they leaned in so that they were just inches away from a kiss.

A shout from outside made them both grind to a halt. "Smurf!" yelled one of her brothers. Molly sighed. She had forgotten Smurf was coming.

Even from her bedroom with the door pulled to, she could hear his conversation with Dave and his heavy feet pounding up the staircase towards where she and Charles sat, locked in a tight embrace.

As the door swung open, the couple jumped apart, just in time.

"Guess...who?" What had started out as a dramatic exclamation faded quickly to a dull tone as Smurf caught sight of Captain James, his hand enclosed over Molly's. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Smurf," Captain James nodded.

"Captain."

Smurf seemed frozen, his eye fixed in the two of them. Molly followed his eye line and realised he was staring at Charles' hand over hers.

Quickly, she snatched it back.

More silence.

"What are you doing here?" asked Molly, biting the inside of her mouth and cursing as she heard how horrible that sounded.

"I thought perhaps you needed cheering up," he explained before murmuring, "Seems like someone beat me to it."

Opening her mouth to say something, Molly gaped like a goldfish. She closed her mouth and looked at the floor.

No one could think of anything to say.

"Why don't we go and get a drink?" suggested the Captain.

A fake smile appeared on Molly's face and she nodded and got to her feet. "I'll just find my shoes."

"I'll go tell your mum we're going out," said Smurf, begging for an excuse to leave the room.

Allowing Molly through the door first, Charles' face echoed hers.

"Sorry," she murmured, "I didn't know he was-"

"It's alright," James told her. "We'll just have to grin and bear it."

/()\

The three of them sat silence at the pub, a pint in front of each of them.

"Well," said Molly in an attempt to make conversation, "this is nice."

They nodded.

"I gotta admit," she continued, unhindered, "it's weird having you two around without the rest of the boys."

They nodded.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Right, I'm gonna go to the bog while you to talk it out." She scraped her chair across the wooden floor and headed in the direction of the door. Before she went through it, Molly turned back to them and raised her eyebrows as if to say 'I expect to see you talking.'

With Molly gone, the boys looked around awkwardly, avoiding each other's eyes.

"So," said Smurf.

"So," said James. "Basically, you yelled at me, I yelled at you. You nearly shot me, I nearly shot you. I _was_ shot, then you were shot and the I woke up in Birmingham hospital with you apologising."

"Somehow," Smurf began, "I haven't been able to forget all of them."

The Captain smiled. "Well I accept your apology."

"And I accept yours," replied Smurf with false grace.

"Hey, what am I supposed to apologise for?" joked Captain James.

"Hmmm," he pondered, "how about telling me I was crazy and then blocking up the bog when it was my turn to clean it?"

They laughed. "And," Charles continued, "What ever happens between either of us and Molly, lets not let it come between us."

With a slight look of reluctance, Smurf slowly nodded.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

They shook hands.

What Charles failed to notice was that Smurf's other hand was hidden behind his back, his fingers crossed.

/()\

"Have you two kissed and made up yet?" asked Molly as she approached the pair of them.

"Yep, the landlord told us to get a room, cheeky bugger!" smirked Smurf.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, how about we-"

"Molls!" screeched a voice from near the entrance. "Oh my god! Look, its Molls! Molly!" The soldier twisted in her chair and came face to face with some of her friends from the past: Sharon, Lizzie and Proud Mary.

"Hello, you lot," Molly said with artificial enthusiasm.

The three girls came over, mounds of shopping bags in each arm. In turn they wrapped her into as hug. "We'll get some chairs," said Sharon as she dumped her bags by the table.

"Don't worry," smiled Charles getting to his feet, "have mine." He left to grab another three for the other girls and himself.

The girls all raised their eyebrows and looked at Molly. "So this is what you were getting up to while you were gone?" Lizzie smirked.

Molly opened her mouth to reply but decided to stay silent.

"You gotta admit, he's gorgeous," laughed Mary, dragging out the 'org', as he bent over to pick up one of the chairs.

Smurf sniggered, earning him a glare from Molly.

Just then, Captain James returned with three chairs. He set one down beside either of the two girls still standing and sat on one himself. "It's alright Smurf," he commented, "You just sit there doing nothing."

"Alright Captain, I can do that, Sir!" he responded with a mocking salute and a sarcastic grin on his face. James jokingly snapped him around the head.

"Captain, eh?" asked Sharon.

The Bossman opened his mouth to reply but Molly cut in ahead of him. "Yes, this is Captain James and Sergeant Dylan Smith - also known as Smurf - of the Under Fives," she explained.

"Oh, so these we're the guy you were out in Aslan with?" asked Sharon.

"Afghan," corrected Molly, trying to hide her laughter. At least she was more successful than both Smurf and Charles.

"I think Aslan is the lion," Smurf informed her.

"Right," Sharon said with a smile. "So, Captain: what's it like being in the army?"

Once again, Molly spoke before he could. "When I tried to tell you about the army, you said you couldn't think of anything more dull!"

"Did I?" asked Sharon with false confusion. "Anyway, Captain James was talking."

Charles grimaced and began to speak.

/()\

Drumming her fingers on the table, Molly lifted Smurf's limp arm to glance at his watch for the third time in five minutes. She was sure that time didn't usually pass this slowly.

What had promised to be a fun day out for Charles, Smurf and her had turned into a gossip session between Sharon, Mary, Lizzie and James. About ten minutes into their conversation the girls had shuffled their chairs around so that they were next to him, although Sharon was leaning in so close that she may as well have been sitting on his lap.

Smurf had lost interest just before Molly had. He now lay in a slumped heap on the table. The only interaction he'd had with Molly was when he had mimed vomiting when Lizzie had decided to tickle James' chin.

By now, Molly was fed up. "Okay," she said, getting to her feet, "it's been lovely seeing all you guys but we'd better go, hadn't we?"

Smurf looked up like an eager puppy and joined her on his feet. "Yeah, I suppose I'd better make a move if I'm gonna catch my train."

"Okay," agreed Mary, "we'll see you later." She and the other girls turned their attention back to Captain James.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Captain? Hello? Bloody hell, Charl-" She stopped before she revealed his name. "Shouldn't you be going if you're going to get home to your _son_," Molly said finally.

All of a sudden, the girls back off. "Son?" queried one of them.

"Yeah," explained Smurf as he caught onto Molly's plan, "Sam. And you know Rebecca, your wife, will be waiting."

James stood up and with a quick goodbye followed Molly and Smurf out of the pub. Outside, they hailed a cab and climbed in one after the other.

The ride was silent. As the driver pulled into Euston Station, Smurf hopped out, followed quickly by Molly and Charles. They quickly headed for the escalators.

"Don't you want to go straight home?" the Bossman asked Molly.

"Nah, I'm fine, thank you very much," she snapped. Rapidly, she marched off in the direction of the large screens showing the timetables. There was one which stopped in Newport due in five minutes. The one to Bath, however, had been delayed...by an hour. _Great_.

/()\

Releasing Smurf from her tight hug, Molly stood behind the station barrier until the last second, when Smurf had disappeared into the crowed boarding the train. She stepped backwards and bumped into Captain James. "Sorry," they both mumbled. They were both frozen awkwardly for a moment until they hurried up to look back at the screens.

"Still delayed," muttered Charles. "You can go if you want or we could grab drink?" he suggested, inclining his head towards the coffee shop inside the station.

With uttering a single word, Molly headed in the direction of the shop. Charles followed.

The two of them sat down, still in silence.

"Molly, have I done something wrong?" queried James in a attempt to break the tension. "Something to offend you? If I have, I'm sorry."

Molly laughed. "No, it's fine. What does it matter that you were sitting three feet away from me while flirting with those tarts?" She shook her head and began to leave.

Charles hurried after her. "Molly!"

"Did you enjoy it? Because as long as you had fun-"

"Molly, I didn't want to-"

She stopped and spun around. "You know what the worst thing is? I thought that we were finally getting somewhere, that we stood a chance at finally being together, especially since you've settled things with Smurf. And then you..."

He placed a hand on her cheek. "Molly," Charles said softly.

"No," she snapped, slapping away his hand, "Get away from me. Go home, Charles, just go home." With that, she turned away and jumped on the bus home.

She didn't look back.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the delay. I promise that I shall start wok on the next one as soon as possible.**

**Merry Christmas,**

**Indigofrog :)**


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